Good from AKP, bad from God: CHP leader

ISTANBUL - Hürriyet Daily News

CHP leader Kılıçdaroğlu joined opening ceremonies in Istanbul’s Bakırköy.

Republican People’s Party (CHP), Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu again criticized the ruling Justice and Development Party’s (AKP) handling of urban transformation when speaking yesterday about recent deadly flood which killed 12 people in the Black Sea region.

 Kılıçdaroğlu called on the government to “do what is necessary” in the flood zone.

“We need urban transformation without a doubt, but you gave this job to [the Housing Development Administration of Turkey] TOKİ, which built houses in a stream bed. Three ministers appeared on TV saying they were responsible, then added that we should not search for a criminal,” Kılıçdaroğlu said yesterday. In his speech Kılıçdaroğlu asked who was responsible and who would take the blame.

“Good things come from the AKP and bad things from God, they say,” Kılıçdaroğlu said.

The ground floors of a number of homes built by TOKİ were flooded in the disaster, causing 12 deaths.
Kılıçdaroğlu spoke at the groundbreaking ceremony of a cultural center in Istanbul’s Bakırköy district where he criticized the AKP’s urban transformation policies.

“We cannot stand idly by while this mentality receives unearned income from Istanbul’s city planning budget. If Fatih Sultan Mehmet had seen AKP’s Istanbul of today he would not be able to stop himself from crying,” Kılıçdaroğlu said.

Kılıçdaroğlu also touched upon the debate surrounding pianist Fazıl Say, who faces 18 months in prison for “insulting religious values” on Twitter. “You should first ask how many people like Fazıl Say exist on the worldwide level. We should increase their number. We are facing a government that tries to destroy art rather than promote it. We have to treat our poets, novelists and journalists with great respect,” Kılıçdaroğlu said.